Bakersfield, a city in California, serves as the county seat of Kern County. It covers about 151 square miles near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is part of the Central Valley region.
As of the 2020 Census, Bakersfield had a population of 403,455, making it the 47th-most populous city in the United States and the 9th-most populous in California. The Bakersfield–Delano Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Kern County, had a 2020 census population of 909,235, ranking it as the 62nd largest metropolitan area in the United States. Bakersfield is a significant hub for both agriculture and energy production, with Kern County being California's most productive oil-producing county and the fourth most productive agricultural county by value in the United States. The city is also known as the birthplace of the country music genre known as the Bakersfield sound.
First Peoples & First Mentions
Archaeological evidence indicates the presence of Native American settlements in the Bakersfield area dating back thousands of years. The region was inhabited by the Yowlumne, a Yokuts people, at the time of the Spanish arrival. The village of Woilu was situated within the bounds of the present city. The Yokuts lived in lodges along the branches of the Kern River delta and hunted antelope, tule elk, deer, bear, fish, and game birds. Spanish priest Francisco Garcés arrived in the area in 1776, marking the first European exploration of the region.
Explorers, Missions & Colonial Outposts
In 1776, Spanish missionary Francisco Garcés recorded his arrival to a Yokuts village along the Kern River, northeast of present-day Bakersfield. The area remained largely isolated from further contact until after the Mexican War of Independence, when Mexican settlers began to migrate to the area. Following the discovery of gold in California in 1848, settlers flooded into the San Joaquin Valley. Gold was discovered along the Kern River in 1851, and oil was discovered in the valley in 1865.
From Empire to Nation: Transfers of Rule
Bakersfield is named after Thomas Baker, who came to the area in 1863. The original settlement, founded in 1860 by Christian Bohna, was swept away by floods in 1861. Baker moved to the banks of the Kern River in 1863, at what became known as Baker's Field, a stopover for travelers. By 1870, Bakersfield was becoming the principal town in Kern County. It was officially incorporated as a city in 1873 and replaced the town of Havilah as the county seat in 1874.
Rails, Roads & River Landings: Corridors That Sited Bakersfield
In 1874, the Southern Pacific Railroad arrived in Kern County, but the train depot was placed nearly three miles east of Bakersfield due to a land dispute. Residents raised funds to build a second railroad, the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad, which was completed in 1898. The new station was located at the intersection of 15th Street and F Street and was replaced with the present-day Bakersfield Station in 2000. Bakersfield's proximity to mountain passes has made it a regional transportation hub, contributing to its growth and development.
